


Falling out of the Closet with a glass of wine

by TheCreatorOfTales



Series: The Chronicles of Cora [1]
Category: Wentworth (TV)
Genre: Coming Out, Cora is a little shit, F/F, Fluff, Food, Found Family, Happy, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Somewhere in the middle of season 2, its not gruesome, joan is a softie for dogs, joan is mamma bear, just a chill time for all, slight description of a violent act
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:46:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26532328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCreatorOfTales/pseuds/TheCreatorOfTales
Summary: Joan invited Vera for dinner at her place instead of the office. Vera is surprised to find that Joan hides a lot of herself at work and finds out a surprising amount about herself.
Relationships: Joan Ferguson & Original Female Character, Vera Bennett/Joan Ferguson
Series: The Chronicles of Cora [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1962679
Comments: 12
Kudos: 29





	Falling out of the Closet with a glass of wine

Vera carefully pulled into the parking spot next to Joan’s sleek, black car. Vera couldn’t tell you what brand the car was, all she knew it was very sexy, it practically purred when you turned it on, and it was fast. Which she found out on the highway trying to keep up with Joan.

Gathering her handbag and keys she opened the door and stepped out, at the same time as Joan clicked the button on her keys to lock her vehicle. The car beeped and flashed its lights, and Joan waited by the rear lights for Vera to catch up to her, and they began to walk towards the door to her (very expensive looking) apartment building together. They made their way up to the apartment, walking through carpeted hallways with soft, warm lighting and painted walls, stopping at a door with the number 12 on it. Joan quickly slipped the key into the lock, turned and pushed the door open, and the noise of a tv could be heard from inside.

Joan didn’t look particularly worried about this, however it left her deputy somewhat confused as she’d assumed that the Governor of Wentworth lived alone. Timidly, she followed Joan into the apartment that was bathed in warm lighting, and sniffing, she could smell what she assumed was lasagne cooking. Joan removed her shoes by the door and placed them on the shoe rack and Vera copied the motion. They also left their handbags, not needing them now they were inside. They walked barefoot through the hallway until they entered into an open plan space, with a kitchen with an island and bar stools on the one end, and a living space on the other with the large floor to ceiling windows, and a dining table in the middle to break up the space. The flat screen was currently on, playing a re-run of Friends, and a mess of redheaded hair could be seen just above the back of the soft looking grey sofa.

“I gave you a key for emergencies, miscreant.” Joan’s usually stern voice held a tone of humour as she spoke, a stark contrast to what could usually be heard issuing orders in the prison.

As soon as she spoke, a white and small ball of fluff leapt from the sofa and scampered towards Joan’s feet, giving out tiny yaps as it jumped on its back legs for attention. Vera watched in disbelief as the older woman crouched down to pick up the dog, and lavished belly rubs and scratches behind the ears for the Pomeranian as it licked her hands.

“Ah, she brought you, Tilly. She’s forgiven.” Turning she went to walk into the kitchen, calling behind her shoulder. “Vera, make yourself comfortable, I’m just going to hang up my jacket. Cora, make yourself useful and hang up Miss Bennett’s jacket please.”

The hair on the sofa moved as a pale, young woman in an oversized woollen jumper and leggings sat up and peered at the deputy. Vivid green eyes crinkled as she smiled widely at the other woman, holding the back of the sofa to stop herself from sinking back down into the cushions. She turned to look at Vera fully, and as she moved her head, the deputy could see an angry red line on the left side of her throat. Within moments, and before she could look closer, the redhead moved.

“You must be Vera!” She leapt off the sofa to walk around it and she came closer with a large grin. “She’s told me so much about you!” The younger woman leant in for a hug, which Vera was happy to give, if slightly confused as to the woman’s identity. Leaning back, the redhead looked her up and down, before noticing that she still looking puzzled. She reached a pale hand forward and motioned to the jacket resting over her arm. The deputy handed it over and watched as the woman bounced over to a built in cupboard close to the hallway that Joan had disappeared through with the dog. She pressed the door, and once the it had popped open, she quickly but tidily hung the jacket on a hanger and clicked the door shut again, making it flush with the wall.

“I hope you like lasagne and garlic bread! I usually make too much anyway, so it’s lucky you’re here!” Vera couldn’t help but like the energetic and honestly, adorable frizzy haired woman. She was so open, and friendly that it was difficult not to grin back at her.

“Is there still wine in my fridge or is it all in your glass on the coffee table?” Joan’s voice came from behind Vera as she entered the living space, Tilly the Pomeranian trotting along next to her, adoringly looking up at the dark haired woman. Cora blushed in response, and laughed slightly, before walking into the kitchen and opening the fridge. Vera turned and watched her boss unwind, now that she was truly on home turf. She’d let her hair down, and changed into black leggings and a cream sweater which reached just below her hips. She looked incredible. Surprisingly, she was barefoot, and Vera noticed that she had bright red toenails, which caused a jolt in Vera’s brain. Tilly licked a toe, causing Joan to startle and squeal quietly, and scooping up the tiny dog and cuddling her mercilessly, all to the dog’s joy at such an easy way of getting ear scratches. Joan was a completely different person when she wasn’t in Wentworth and she felt a little guilty that she hadn’t thought about this before. Of course Joan was a different person at home. If she acted like this at the prison, nobody would listen or take notice of her. Besides, even unwilling to label herself as gay yet, Vera was attracted to Joan on all levels. Even more so in her cream jumper and with her red toes.

“Don’t be fooled, she’s still as much of a badass at home as she is in work.”

After speaking, Cora looked over after triumphantly producing a new bottle of Shiraz from the fridge, and noticed Vera’s expression. Feeling a little pity for the obviously still closeted older woman, she called her name and waved the bottle, wordlessly asking if she wanted a glass. Vera blushed, and nodded shyly. Cora produced two medium sized wine glasses and poured a third of wine in each one and left them on the counter, letting each woman pick a glass.

Later as the lasagne dishes were being washed in the dishwasher and the final bits of garlic bread were shared between them, the three women were all curled up on various parts of the sofa, laughing at a story Cora was telling about when she first met Joan.

“….and she just put him on the floor! Just like that! No muss, no fuss, she said that he’d had his only warning and when he carried on, well he was practically snogging the floor!” Cora emphasised the story with her arms, before bursting into loud laughter again, causing the older two women to join in. Vera was truly enjoying herself, for the first time in a long time, and for once, she wasn’t thinking of her mum who was truly enjoying making everyone as miserable as she was in her final days, or of work. It was refreshing.

“Well he shouldn’t have tried to put his hands on you! Besides, it isn’t my fault he didn’t listen to the warning I gave him.” Joan shrugged and sipped her wine.

“See?” Cora motioned towards Joan “what did I tell you? A badass in and out of uniform!”

Vera nodded at her turn of phrase. Nobody needed to be told that Joan Ferguson was a badass, regardless of location. She’d seen the woman tackle Sue Jenkins when she was driven to anger over something another inmate had said about her boyfriend, and then restrain her alone whilst she had called for assistance and Will had sprinted around the corner.

“So how did you two meet?” The words were out of Vera’s mouth before she could stop them. She was curious as to how two women of such differing ages could meet.

The atmosphere in the room went tense. Immediately Vera started to apologize, hoping beyond all hope that she hadn’t ruined the night. The two women looked at one another, and sighed a little before Cora answered.

“Well she’s practically my mum!”

The deputy blinked in tipsy stupor. Joan rested her head in the hand not holding a wine glass, some of her hair falling over her shoulder.

Cora picked up on the still nervous Vera and decided to explain their history fully.

“Well, the thing is, I’m very gay.” Vera looked up, shocked. Cora smiled reassuringly at her. “I knew I was gay back in high school but couldn’t be loud and really bloody proud at fifteen, so I waited until the day before I was going to leave to move to uni to come out.”

Vera’s stomach began to twist itself into knots. She knew where this story was likely going.

“Anyway, came out at my farewell dinner, did not go well, my family were religious nutcases in all honesty. Later that night, I went to bed, thought nothing of it. Well I wake up in the middle of the night, to find my mum hovering over the top of me and she’s got a knife in her hand. I won’t go into detail but I’m sure you can guess that she preferred a dead daughter over a gay one.” She pointed to the large scar on her neck, moving her hair out of the way to show how it wound around the left side of her neck. “I got lucky, she missed an important vein, but I still bled like a stuck pig and I ran away that night, using a tea towel to try and stop the bleeding. I managed to make it to the main road before passing out. Jo was passing in her car and bundled me into the backseat and sped to the nearest hospital and wouldn’t leave my side.”

Vera looked over to see a deep red blush creep up Joan’s neck as she ran a hand through her hair. She coughed uncomfortably.

“Look at her, getting embarrassed with stories of her heroics!” Cora pointed and laughed. “Seriously, she didn’t leave my side until the doctor told her I was going to be okay. Then I asked her please stay, and I haven’t left her alone since.”

Tilly chose this moment to lift her head from Joan’s lap and yip at them, which made everyone laugh at her interruption.

“Her family came looking for her.” Joan’s monotone broke through the laughter. “Her father tried to grab her to rip out the IV’s in her arms to drag her home, which is why he ended up on the floor.” Looking between the pair, Vera could tell that the pair cared for one another.

Cora reached forward to pat Vera’s hand. “I never saw them again, and I’m glad for it, because Joan more than makes up to hole they left. She treated me better in one day than they treated me my whole life and I can honestly say that she is the best mum ever.”

Joan finished the last of her glass in one gulp. “Ew, emotion.” She joked, blinking away her wet eyes.

“I’m in my last year of uni now, and I’ve been accepted to do my Masters degree too! And I only live across the hall!” Cora beamed at Joan who returned the smile, “so it all works out for the best! Good things come from shite!”

Vera burst into relieved laughter at the redhead’s swearing, and whether it was the wine or the story, she felt a burst of bravery.

“I think I’m gay.” The words were out before she could stop them and after a beat, she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her shoulders and hug her gently. She thought it was Cora, but when she looked up, Cora was sat opposite, waving at her with a cheeky grin, Tilly in her lap, looking unamused that she had been evicted from her previous seat.

Joan held Vera tight as she let a few tears fall, allowing the deputy her moment to try and process what she’d actually said. When she felt her nodding, Joan unwound her arms and sat back, but held on to her hands and looked the woman in the eyes.

“When a person realises who they are, it is a wonderful thing, and if more people could be their true selves, I think the world would be a much better place.” Joan’s words were reassuring, and she smiled gently at Vera.

“Hey Vee, nobody in this room likes dick!” Cora’s crass comment made her burst out into teary laughter, as she dried her eyes and felt a huge weight unwind off of her shoulders. Then, Cora’s comment sunk into her brain. She looked at Joan.

“You’re a lesbian?” She asked, and the older woman shrugged and nodded, not needing to say a word. This wasn’t her moment of realisation, Joan had figured out that she wasn’t interested in men whatsoever at age 17, however waited until her father died when she was 23 to fully embrace it. However, even then, the world wasn’t as accepting as it was now, keeping her sexuality hidden had been necessity.

“So when are we taking her to a lesbian bar? I know the Clit Crowd is open for happy hour tomorrow night!” Cora cheered, happy for the older women who seemed to be realising that there was more than friendship between them, if a bit slowly for her tastes.

“The Clit Crowd?!” Vera burst into laughter, unable to believe that a bar was called such a name.

“Lesbians have no shame.” Joan and Cora stated at the same time, with straight faces.

“Fantastic cocktails, and we know the owner and the bar tender. She has the best stories.” Joan added, with a grin. Vera had never seen Joan smile in such a way and she liked how it made her look. She like Joan a lot more than was probably appropriate but she would cross that bridge if it got to it. For now, she had two exceptionally good friends, who would support her.

“Now, what’s this I hear about your twat of a mother?”

“CORA!”

“See? What did I tell you Vee? Jo is my mother!”


End file.
